TV Serieseseses

taniwharugby

yeah the interesting thing about Orca (not seen this series) is how 'tribal' they are and how different they are based on where they are from and how they get their food. 
 
e.g those that beach themsleves for Seals (off South America?) the ones off Monteray Bay that will co-ordinate attacks on Blue Whales, NZ ones go after Stingrays, some in the Antarctic create a wave to tip seals off small blocks of ice etc...

Crucial

I have started watching 'Person of Interest' after hearing some good things. 
 
It's a bit of an odd one, and at this point (after 3 eps) I'm not sure if I'm sold on it. 
 
It's well made, but the main premise of the story runs thin very quickly and it becomes a cop/ vigilante show with more than usual action scenes. Tries to be a little scifi/big brother but that part has all been done before. 
 
To give you the brief (without spoiling). A very eccentric billionaire computer whiz has designed a secret surveillance system for the govt that tracks thoughts and actions and picks up on possible terrorist activities giving the govt the intel to shut them down before they happen (it's set in NY and refers to 'the towers' a lot). Of course the system also picks up a lot of other info as well but is programmed to wipe it each night as it's deemed "irrelevant". The designer decides to build a backdoor into the system by which it sends him a social security number of someone that needs 'looking at'. Yep, all a bit silly at this point. 
The billionaire dude (who everyone thinks is dead) then recruits an ex special forces guy who has gone well off the radar and is living as a bum to be his muscle and together they fight crime without donning lycra. 
The first show sets all of this up and the next 2 start following the formula. The saving grace is that not everything in the background of the two is exposed and there is a continous underlying thread of mystery around their motives/reasons for doing what they do. The writers appear to have made this part quite intricate and it's the bit that would keep you coming back for more. 
 
If you get a chance, it's worth a watch. Give it a few eps before deciding how far to go with it.

Stockcar86

Not sure if this should be in this thread or not... anyway, been watching and loving the anime Toriko recently. It is a tv programme (currently playing on Fuji TV in Japan). 
 
The description from animedb is pretty accurate [QUOTE]In a world where the taste and texture of food is extremely important there exist individuals known as Bishoku-ya (luxury food providers) who specialize in the acquisition of rare ingredients and animals.Toriko is one of these hunters and it is his dream to find the most precious foods in the world and create the ultimate dinner course. As one of the most skilled hunters in the world he is regularly hired by restaurants and the rich to seek out new ingredients and rare animals. A man with inhuman ability, he utilizes his incredible strength and knowledge of the animal kingdom to capture ferocious, evasive and rare beasts to further his final goal, the ultimate dinner course composed of the most delicious food in the world. He is currently accompanied by a weak and timid chef who, inspired by Toriko's ambition, travels with him to improve his culinary skills and find rare ingredients[/QUOTE] 
 
What seemed like a weird concept of killing then eating animals, has turned out to be really fun. It has a very over the top style, and never takes itself too seriously. The first 6 or so episodes are more "monster of the week" but after that it starts building into longer story arcs, introducing more longer term characters, and becomes pretty addictive. 
 
It is licensed for streaming in the US by Funimation, but no rights outside of US exist (and unless you can spoof a US IP address you can't watch those streams). Therefore I have been watching the fan-subs done by Anime Destiny (available here [URL]http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=search&cats=1_37&filter=0&term=Toriko[/URL] ) 
 
Currently they are subbing about 1 week after the episodes play on tv, and up to episode 33 so far. The first episode is a cross over with One Piece (produced by Toei, the same production company) but reverts to it's own series after that.

da_grubster

Homeland is very good, well worth checking out. Looking forward to the end of Sons of Anarchy. the end of series 4 is going to be brutal!!

Crucial

[quote name='da_grubster']Homeland is very good, well worth checking out. Looking forward to the end of Sons of Anarchy. the end of series 4 is going to be brutal!![/QUOTE] 
 
At the moment its hard to tell what series 5 will be about. Series 4 is just awesome.

taniwharugby

I have plenty of viewing coming up (I always wait until I have the full series to watch at my leisure) Dexter, SOA (a 14 ep series this time too?) Homeland, Downton Abbey (although I see there is a break for the final episode) 
 
Finale to the Borgias this week too.

Bones

[quote name='da_grubster']Homeland is very good, well worth checking out. Looking forward to the end of Sons of Anarchy. the end of series 4 is going to be brutal!![/QUOTE]Yeah Homeland has certainly turned up the heat and one that both Bonesetta and I enjoy. SOA is fricking rocking! I've watched it from scratch this year sitting down to multi-episodes at a time and now it's painful to have to wait a whole bloody week until the next one!

da_grubster

[quote name='Crucial']At the moment its hard to tell what series 5 will be about. Series 4 is just awesome.[/QUOTE] 
 
 
It felt like this was the last series the way it was playing out until I saw that it was renewed. I have no idea either!

da_grubster

[quote name='Bones']Yeah Homeland has certainly turned up the heat and one that both Bonesetta and I enjoy. SOA is fricking rocking! I've watched it from scratch this year sitting down to multi-episodes at a time and now it's painful to have to wait a whole bloody week until the next one![/QUOTE] 
 
Yeah that sucks Bones, when you find a series after it has started and then you catch up with it!! 
 
Working from home tomorrow so will be D/Ling Homeland and Dexter in the morning and watching both over lunch :-) 
 
Might look at Friday Night lights next...anyone know if it is good??

Nepia

[quote name='da_grubster']Yeah that sucks Bones, when you find a series after it has started and then you catch up with it!! 
 
Working from home tomorrow so will be D/Ling Homeland and Dexter in the morning and watching both over lunch :-) 
 
[B]Might look at Friday Night lights next...anyone know if it is good??[/B][/QUOTE] 
Yep, it's class. Good writing, some great performances, sport and some top class totty! You've probably heard of the Season 2 dip, but in reality aside from one storyline it was still better than most TV out there.

Tim

I can't handle Kyle Chandler though, he's just such a cheesy fucker.

Nepia

[quote name='Tim']I can't handle Kyle Chandler though, he's just such a cheesy fucker.[/QUOTE] 
Really? :shock: I think he's great and finally got a well deserved Emmy. Would make it hard to watch the show if you don't like Chandler. I haven't watched a Nicole Kidman movie in years.

Tim

He does that puppy-dog eyes thing, and is so cheesy. He's as bad as Dylan McDermot to me. :shock: 
 
I wanted to punch out my monitor when I saw the [I]Super 8[/I] trailer.

Nepia

I guess my real equivalent is Daniel Day-Lewis. Apparently I'm supposed to rate him the best actor in the world when I just consider him the biggest ham on the planet (and not in a good way - like when Gary Oldman is in his ham mode). I spent 3 hours wanting to punch my monitor during that oil movie and when I got to the milkshake scene I wanted to punch myself out and hopefully wake up with no memory of the previous 3 hours. So I understand your beef with Chandler.

rustycruiser

[quote name='taniwharugby']I have plenty of viewing coming up (I always wait until I have the full series to watch at my leisure) Dexter, SOA (a 14 ep series this time too?) Homeland, Downton Abbey (although I see there is a break for the final episode) 
 
Finale to the Borgias this week too.[/QUOTE] 
 
Put Dexter toward the end of your watch list. It is pretty crap this year. More crap than any previous year (and they have been going downhill since the first season). Homeland, SOA are a better investment of your time. Walking Dead S02 part 1 was pretty meh as well.

antipodean

In other news, Gossip Girl is back on, which is when I leave the room. While my wife engages in her "brain dead, look at pretty things" mode, she doesn't appreciate me taking the piss.

Bones

[quote name='antipodean']In other news, Gossip Girl is back on, which is when I leave the room. While my wife engages in her "brain dead, look at pretty things" mode, she doesn't appreciate me taking the piss.[/QUOTE]It can't be as bad as fucking Made in Chelsea...

taniwharugby

[quote name='rustycruiser']Put Dexter toward the end of your watch list. It is pretty crap this year. More crap than any previous year (and they have been going downhill since the first season). Homeland, SOA are a better investment of your time. Walking Dead S02 part 1 was pretty meh as well.[/QUOTE] 
 
Yeah it has been on the decline, but I still like it. Although TBF I thought the 2nd half of the series with John LIthgow was bloody good.

Crucial

Back to 'Person of Interest'. 
 
I have caught right up on the episodes and it does get better. You still have to suspend reality quite a bit while watching and it's not the greatest TV ever made but it is watchable and the continuing threads keep you coming back. 
 
What I have discovered though, is that the uneven progression of the series was due to the way US TV works. The first Ep was a 'pilot' and from that the producers got the OK to make a few more to see if interest would continue. That's when it hit formula with only hints at backstory or underpinning threads. When the ratings continued to be good they got the go ahead to complete the series and things picked up. 
 
This seems to have also been the case with the Borgias when I think back. First ep grabbed attention, the next few hit a formula and closed out a story each episode before it kicked into gear with longer plots and better character development. 
 
In part that is why Homeland has been so good. It was obvious from the start that the whole story is plotted out over a season and the writers have been able to play the watchers along accordingly. 
 
My anticipation for the final episode of SOA4 is huge. I can see the value in TRs theory of waiting for the whole series, but I didn't have the patience.

Bones

Yeah why would you need to run a pilot and get approval in the US for a series where muslim = baddie terrorist <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

The Silver Fern

TV Serieseseses